Dunkerque it is today! We have sailed a rather short leg from Nieuwpoort positing us on pole for the tidal race tomorrow! ⛵️
This is our third country on this trip and we will probably be in France for another month or so, sailing along its coast down to La Rochelle and then to Spain.
When we were crossing the border we were already checked out by a surveillance drone which looked pretty much like military kit. Besides that not much changed except for the style of the buoys.
The winds were very light today, so we needed assistance of the engine (again). Especially due to us sleeping in and being a little late, so that the tide was turning against us eventually.
DK itself is way more run down than Nieuwpoort but way more lively with different types of people and a full beach promenade. The town itself also has its charm while the marina is in the industrial area. Luckily André was practising his French when he asked the harbour master for a box which is protecting us a little more from the swell of passing by tugs and pilot boots.
At last, we also came to see the shadows of „fortress Europe“. The gendarmerie was collecting a (luckily) empty refugee boat. Let’s hope that these poor souls are safe and have found what they are looking for on whatever side of the channel.
Tomorrow we will leave early again. Our schedule is currently dictated by the tide and the currents it’s causing. At 04:30 we will leave DK departing for Boulogne sur Mer. If all is well timed, we will have the current in our favour when passing the „grey nose“ cape (Cap Gris Nez).
